Nut-cracking machine



F. A. COARI.

NUTCRACKING MACHINE.

Ar-Pucmzon FILED sEPT.14..191a.

IIIII (mi. nergf'secg y `F.A.C0Am. NuIcRAc'mNG MACHINE.I AFPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14. 1918.

1,407,325, Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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W @MMM F. A. COARI. ,NuTc'RAcKlNG MACHINE. I APFLICATIONIILD SEPT. I4, 1918. `1 ,407,325, Patented Feb. '21, 192.2.

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JN VENTOR.

WITNESSES.-` E11/ A, Com,

w BY

fw 'TTORNEM F. A. COARI. ,NUTCRACKING MACHINE.

yAPPLxcATloN FILED SEPT. 14. 191s.

1 ,407,325, Patented Feb. 2], 1922.

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55 l'lil llllll'llll/IH INVENTOR. W1TNssEs-- fhm A bami A TTORNE Y.

F.A.c0Am.

NUTCRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. i4, 1918.

Patented Feb. .21, 1922,

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BY l v i 9W' ATTORNEY F. A. COARI.

-NUTCRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEIT. I 4, 19m.

Patented Feb. 21., 1922.

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NVENTOR. n (70012;

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A TTORNE Y i UNITED FRANK A connr or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

NUT-CRACKING MACHINE.

T0 all whom it may concer/rt:

Be it known that. I, FRANK A. CoARi, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,.county of Cook, and State oflllinois, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Cracking Machines,

of which the following is a specification.y l

This invention relates to nut-cracking machines and more particularly pertains toimprovements on Patent No.v 797,260, and the .invention consists in the matters lhereinafter appended cracking -niechanism is regulated so as tolock positively and automatically, and'whioh' willbe capable of automatically adjusting itself, to deliver independent cracking oper-Y ations to nuts of different lengths and whereby aborti've operation of the. cracking. mechanism is obviated, -and the number of miscracked nuts reduced to a minimum.

A further ob]ect of the invention, is to .-.prcvide improved means for uniformly feeding the nuts from the lower part of a laterally disposed hopper to the feedingvbelt,

and whereby the overfeeding and jamming of the nuts is prevented.

A further ob]ect of the invention is `to provide the hopper with a shaking element,.-

having engagement with the endless feeding belt to vibrate same, so that the nuts will be deposited endwise into carryingreceptacles in the feeding belt, and wherein the necessity of the constant attention of the operator is eliminated.

A further object of the invention, is dto'.

provide a compact machine requiring-buta small amount of-floor space for its occupancy' and which, .by its simplicity of construction and operation, requires no extraordinary degree of -mechanical abilityon the part of the operator, to run and .superintendfit A still furtherobject of the invention, is toV provide means for automatically ejecting the nuts from the `feeding belt into an intermittingly advancing carrier and presenta nut cracking'machine made Vwith my invention.

' specification of Lattersratmt. Ptent'ed Febj'gliigggf Application filed September i4, i918.'.,.`seria1 No. 254,105. y

ing them to the co-operating parts of the cracking mechanism.l Y Y f Otherobjects of the-invention willgbe seti forth in the. following 'description 0f the; machine and embodied in the claims. f

In t-he drawings, Figure 1, is a -front elevational 'View 'of Y Figure 2, is a rear elevation thereof.l 'f Figure 8, is anend elevation viewedfrom the hopper end.. n., Figure 4,.' is an end elevation viewed .fromy the `drive end.'l I tj Figure 5, is a transverse section line 5-5of Fig. 4. f Figure 6, is a perspective, head, also shown in Figs. .2, 3, 4, 17, 18, and 19.

taken i olii in accordance OFFICE.

Figure 7,i sl a side view'a'offone `cfthe reciprocatory levers'.

F gure 8",. is a front ciprocatoryxlever; Vshown in .Fig V7 Figure 9,` Vrepresentsgal sidey View of. cam roller carried bysaid levers. j- .f n j; Figure 10,represents a. front view ofthe cam roller shown in F ig; 9.

Figure 11, represents a sideview of onefofj Y the sliding wedges.

elevation oftheref; i

Figure 12, represents. a'vfi'ont elevation .of

the sliding wedge shownin 1l..

Figure 13, represents a plan view..-ofga-l u lockingxstrip.,v r Figure 14, represents an end.:view, o'ftthefl locking strip shown in Fig; 13. :ff

Figure 15, represents a side view of oneof the face cams'. i g- Fig'ure 16, represents a front view4 face cam shown in Fig. 15. Figure 17, is a partial planvi machine. a n

Figure 18, -is avertical. section taken on, line6- -6(Fig.17). p Figure .19, is a partial Vertical section., taken longitudinally onthe centerline ofA the machine.

Figure 2O, is cross sectional view showing the gearing. ofE the intermittent mechanism. 4 .l Figure 21,.,is al fronte-elevation 0fthe gearing shown in Fig.v 20.

if the,

ew of the Figure .22, is a partial sectional view of the. ,gearing sh Fig. 20.

Figure wn `in i 23,V adetail view of shakingelement attached to one' rif-"tuba .;g. i

standards and the operating mechanism, therefor.

Figure 24, is an end view of the shaking the bed frame ofthe machine which is sup- 'ported by the standards 2 and 3, being bolted together inthe manner of machines of this character. The lnumeral 4 designates a hopper disposed on the rear side of the bed frame of the machine and into which are deposited the nuts (in a mass) ,and from which they are deliveredfseverally by a suitable feeding mechanism to the cracking mechanism. The hopper'4, is supported at its upper end by brackets 5, on the bed frame 1, while the lower end is supported on brackets 6, the latter extending laterally and upwardlyfrom and attached to standard 3, being suitably shaped at its upper end to support the lower end of the hopper.

The nuts are fed from the hopper 4, to the cracking mechanism by means of a feeding belt or carrier moving through the bottom of the inclined hopper which carries the nuts in a plurality 0f recesses or chambers in the belt bars from said hoppers, and means is providedfor ej ecting the nuts from the feeding belt into an intermittingly advancing carrier, which travels between oppositely located co-operative elements of the cracking mechanism.

The endless' feeding belt designated by numeral 7 travels for the greater part of its length between the side walls and parallel with the false bottom 8, of the hopper 4,

' passing through an opening- 9, in the lower end of its sloping sides. The said belt is formed of a plurality of transversely extending and Iparallelly disposed bars 10, connected at their ends to the links of the sprocket chains 11. The bars and chains constitute as a whole a continuous web-belt7 having pockets or chambers 12, for thereception of the nuts to convey them from the hopper, the said pockets having the form of recesses in the bars 10. The sprocket chains 11,'are trained about' sprocket wheels 13, which are disposedin pairs at the upper and lower ends of the hopper, and the shafts 14, of said sprocket wheels, are mounted in suitable bearings on the brackets 5 and 6. Means arev provided for the proper adjustment of the feeding belt andthe lower brackets 6 dium for the nuts in massin the hopper, is'

spaced from and extends in parallel alignment with the feeding belt 7, and comprisesv a sheet -of spring metal, the extreme lower marginal portion, immediately adjacent the' hopper end wall, being bent downwardly at 16. The space between the bent portion 16, of the false bottom and the lower end wall of the hopper, is of sufiicient width to allow only one row of the nuts to pass through the said space .andbe deposited endwise into the recesses 12, in the chain belt bars 10.

In this connection it may be stated that the f aforesaid recesses 12, are of a dimension slightly wider than the horizontal medial f l diameter of the largestl nut of the particular.

species to be operated upon, and theopenings forming the said recesses 12, extend in` wardly to such depth, that the nuts are nestled to approximately two-thirds of their length in the said recesses. The-bars' 10, are

provided with `restricted openings 18, (illus-` trated in Fig. 27 communicating with the bar recesses 12, and through which a series ofejector pins are operable and which will be later more fully described. It will be readily perceived vthat the bars and chains practically constitute a continuous web-belt, having a series of pockets or recesses adapted to receive a predetermined number of nuts and to deliver them to the cracking mechanism. in proper position for submission to same.

The nuts are discharged from the endless feeding belt 7, into a carrying belt or conveyor 19, which travels transversely across the bed of the machine, between a pair of guide plates 20 secured to the bed-housing 21.. Said carrying belt 19, is made up of a plurality of loosely connected links, shaped to form aplurality of transverse pockets 22, which laterally receive the nuts delivered thereto, and said pocketsA are so disposed that when the carrier is arrested, a series of crack ing plungers are in line with ay number of pockets equal to the number of pairs of 0pposing plungersof two opposed groups. The ej ecting mechanism as heretofore mentioned, comprises a plurality of ejector pins 23, and is operated t irough amain shaft 24, suitably j ournalled -in bearings in the standards 2 and 3, of the bed frame. A face cam 25 iixably mounted on the continuously rotatable main shaft 24, suitably imparts motion to a double bell crank 26, mounted on a pivot block 27 on the standard 3, and the lower end of the bell crank carries an antifriction roller-,28,v

adaptedfor engagementywith the face-cam 25. The bell crank26, transmitsmotion-toa slotted bell crank 29,1 through a connecting'. l rod 'and a bracey bar31, is pivotally Isecured j at its upper end to bracket 5, andV at its lower end to bell crank 29.' 'A cross head member 32, (F ig. 26), carrying the ejector pins 23, at c its upper end, has pin connection 33'; withA` the upper slotted leg ofthe'bell crank 291,

causing the cross head member to advance with the rotation of the. slotted'bell' crank, thus intermittently advancing -t-he'lejector pins 23, into the openings '18' of the bars l() off thechain belt, to force the' nuts contained' therein intothe pockets22-of the transverse conveyor.v A springy 34, secured at :one end-f to the hopper and tothe slotted bellfcrankat the other, returns the cross head member 32 and the ejectorrpins23', to their normal posi--V tion'after having ejected a setfof nuts.

fulcrum pin 37 on the:standard.3,.and the roller 36 engages each successive tooth 3S, of: a star cam 39, which latter vis mounted on the main shaft 24,-thus imparting adownward,v movement to theivupper end'of the bent lever The upper end of said lever is connected? to the hopper by means of a spring 40, at?

, tac'hedto an angle plate 41,"a'nd a flat member 42, carried by the said lever,-has=slapping engagement vwith thev underside of the "end-V less feedingV belt 7,-as the bent'lever 35 Frocks.

` Thetwo eonveying'and lf'ee'ding. mecha-V nisms yareVY givenfwan intermittent y advance; movement and .such will' 'bei y-fullydescribed` y and said fwedg'es .are -operable in openings hereinafter. n lt has thus been shown-how'the; -nuts are conveyed to the cracking elementsV andtheir ejectment and positioning:withlrelation tosaid mechanism.`A f

The cracking mechanism ,comprises two groups of opposing co-actingp'lungers, an4 equal number ofV plunigers inceach set arfi ranged one set on eachsideofthepath of the' 'conveyer 19.

The bed housing 21,? of-Athe machine,1is, preferably cast in one piece, and embodies` a" hollow casing having twoflat lower bearingk surfaces 43,1adjacent its opposite ends and two elevated bearing surfaces V4.4, rcentrally,

disposed with relation to the said bed and which latter are spaced "apart to' form a cen` tral opening through whichtravels the con-y veyor 19, that carries the' nuts tothecracking plungers,

The' guide platesl 20- are bolted' to the opposite walls of said housin'giat the.

topfof saidopening, and the walls of said housing 'adjacent' vthe' central opening 'are chambered for-the receptionaof certain co-` operatingelementsf of. the plungerrods 45,

having sliding. engagement therein'. vEach disposed `opposite each other, one on each'.

side-ofthe path of .the vnuts through the machine. The plungerrods45iare assembled .onthe elevated surface 44, .of the casing or housing and have connected .therewith at v one end cylindrical shanks.45, which travel through the saidfopenings in the guide plates Y 20, and each plunger body is-.substantially rectangular... The head vvportions 45 of the rods? 45', haveedge .toy edge lbearingswith each other .and bearings .onthe elevated sur-- faces-44 ofthe casing. The head portions i shank yportions 45 .are provided-with a concave; recess 46,'-a'dapted to receive 'the convex end of the nut to ybecracked.4 .The opposite` lateral faces-47V of then'head piece 45y are verticalandfparallel with each otherI asherein. shown and the vrtop and bottomV are from said 1rear faee'and-.fthereby forming a grooveJ-O, ybetween theange. 49 andthevrearra'celof the 'head piece 45.- fThe `front and rear walls of the lhead oonsistingrespectively.: of .the rear, face 'of the head and. Vthe front face of. said flange, are inclinedso that 45.arel adjustably connected and locked rwith 'thesha'nks 45', by means-of. a thread and .lock nut,and. 'the outer endsk of theV the: groove is inclined upwardly and inward-lyfrom its lower .end,1and thev rear; face o'ffthe .flange .is also inclined parallel with the-"rear'faceof thefhead. .The -numerall` desirgnatesya plurality of fvertical sliding' l we'dges,..one.for each plunger'of each .set

in the casing between eachf'set of upper and lower bear-ingV surfaces 43 and 44'. The

wedge's51v are provided near .their front face atf-their lateral sides, -with inclined'grooves 52, 'which are linclined-to correspondwith' the inclination Aof the rear :faces of the headsv 45" ofthe cracking plungers and are adapted. to` receive-,the lhook shaped flanges. 49, projecting from'the rear "faces :of saidheads.

Itis 4obvious'from the construction recit`ed,

that since' the smaller ends of the wedgesl,

are directed downwardly, .when the said.-

wedges descend-they actl to advance the cracking plungersV forward overthe, bearing j there; be interpose'cl.,between` thel plungers' set of1-nuts,the-two groups .of advanclng plungers firstact to position the nuts centrally on the-carrier 19, prior to subjecting them to the cracking operation. It will be furthermore noted, by reason ofthe vertical vmovement of the wedges 51, and the interlocking connection between thev wedges 51 and the heads 45 of said plungers, consisting of the flanges on the heads and the grooves on the wedges, that when the wedges 51 arev wedges 51l and when the plungers are re-v tracted, the wedges are therefore in their upper or advanced positions, the latter being held in that-position by the element which raised them. 1

The wedges 51, have interlocking guiding engagement with the cross heads 53, which vlatter are slidably mounted in horizontal guide grooves in the lower bearing surfaces 43 ofthe casing, and are formed with guide flanges 54, and bars 55, have portions projecting over the ange portions 54 and are bolted as at 56, to the casing proper, serving to hold the same in retracted position.

kPressure is appliedto the said cross heads in a horizontal direction and acts through the wedges and plungers to produce the final cracking pressure on the nuts described hereinafter.

The movement of the cross heads 53 in one direction is limited by the'stop bars 55, having their ends attached to the casing proper by bolts 56, while movement in the opposite direction is regulated by springs 57 attached at one end to the cross heads and atthe other to the elevated portion 44 of the casing. The

function of the springs 57 is to returnk the cross heads 53 to normal position after a cracking operation.k f

The wedges 51 on their ,perpendiculargl edges, are provided with trippingbars 58, the outer edgesofwhich are knurled'as at.

y 59 and said bars 58 extend lfor some distance below the said wedges, being adapted for engagement with the brackets 6() carried by the yokes 61, each of said brackets 60 being located directly below a set or group of wedges 51. The wedges are intermittently raised' into engagement with the plungers to withdraw same to their inactive positions as follows: The yokes 61 act to elevate each set of wedges 51, and comprises forked arms 62, having sliding engagement with a bearing 63, suitably mounted in the machine bed frame, and each bracket 60 is adapted to engage the lower ends of the tripping bars 58, extending downwardly from the wedges, 51, whereby when the brackets are raised, the

rollers 65, that rrest and lroll on the periph--- ery of said cams 64; The cams64 are so disposed with respect to each other, that they. actto lift the-tripping bars58, simultaneously and thereby simultaneously vraise the wedges 51 and withdraw the plunger rods 45, and this movement occursat the, time when the carrier is advancing, just after the nuts have been subjected to the, cracking opera'- tion. When the antifriction rollers 65 of the yokes 61 pass ofi' of the highest part of cams. 64, wedges 51 are forced to drop by gravity. and the extent ofV their drop depends upon the lengths of t-he nuts heldV between the plungers. Fig. 2, illustrates the wedges 51 in their downward positions, withfour' lengths ofk nuts between the plungers andthe wedges assume four `dierent vertical .planes-L The wedges are adapted for` operationy through the vertical slots 66, formed -in theV inneredges of the cross heads 53, and a plurality of detachable bars 67 are secured to the cross heads by screws 68 and VspacedV apart to allow thebody portion of the wedge members 51 to travel therebetween.l :1 A locking means for the Wedges 51, duringY the cracking operation is provided and'conv sists of the bars V69 mounted ony the adjustable .bolts 70 in the yface of the cross heads 53, and which are connected by cross members 71, the said boltsV pass through the slots 72 of the bars and permit thecross members, and the Vbars to slide on the tops ofthe-heads. The outer edges of the cross members are knurled as at 67 and adapted, simultaneously with the crackingoperation, to engage the knurled edges 59 o-f .the wedges, serving to grip the same and hold each wedge in position and against furtherV downward movement by gravity. i v

The ends of the bars 69 are provided with threaded Shanks 73 and have arranged thereon springs 74 and nuts and washers, '75 and 76, and when properly regulated by adjusting .nuty 75, the locking device moves inwardly arresting all of theholding wedges, thus preventing slipping and thus establishsin@ co-.operation with certain rocking leversv 77, to force the entire set of wedges and plungers Yinwardly together to crush the nuts. f

When thenuts have been advanced to a, position in register with the several plungers, the latter are forced inwardly by pressure applied to the wedges'51, yto advance them a suiiicient distance to crack or disrupt thefshells and such action is accomplished in the followingl manner. The cross heads 53, illustrated in Figs. 6, 18, and 19, slide toward and from eachother in horizontal guides provided in the bed; frame of the machine and during the forward vslidingmovement, transmit through the plungers the pressure to crack the nuts; both cross heads being ad tuated` inwardly simultaneously. The cross heads 53, are moved inwardly by means of vertically disposed{reciprocatory levers Y?, which are pivoted near their upj'ier endsto the bed frame ofthe" machine on thepivot shafts 77. The levers are providedfat their ends. with cross bars78, haying, set screws 79 at its dopposite ends and extending therethrough, which latter bear against the outer fa'ces of thecross heads 58. Links 80 arel carried bythe set screws 7 9 and are. apertured at theirfendsfor the VShanks 73 of outer ends oflocking' bars 69. .The lower ends of the reciprocatory levers 77, are forked and said forks 81 straddle the main 24, whilef cam. rollers 82 are 'mounted in the said levers 7.7, immediately above the forked portionand areadapted for engagement with the laterally directcam projections 83, on thelateral face of cam 84 mou-ntedonthe shaft 2 4. Upon eachrevolution-of thefcams 84, the lower ends of the reciprocatory levers 7T-are forced outwardly, the upper end S of thelevers being forced inwardly and exerting pressure to a degree on the ends of the locking barsv 69, to insure the advancing of the'cross heads 53 and wedges 51 toward 'the plungers. f

The plungersand cross heads Vare returned to retracted position after the :cam rollers 82 have ypassed ott, the cam projections88` lby springs 74, on the vShanks 7 3, of lthe slotted bars 6 9, being disposed between the links 8O of the levers Z7 and the .washers 76, and they co-operate with; springsl?, and serve to force the cross heads .53 outwardly against the stop `bars 55. By adjusting the. set screws 79 of the. cross bar 78,i'nwardly or outwardly, movementof the'crossheads is regulated. The cross-heads 58 are always in engagement with the' upper `ends ofthe levers 77, and if the setscrews 79through the nuts 79 are adjusted, -topermit a. longer retrace tive movement of the cross heads, the forward movement of thecross heads and the travel ofthe wedges and plungers will be correspondingly regulated. Likewise the length of the cracking strokes of the plungers will be regulated, resulting in regulating-the extent of the Vcracking or crushing action on the-shells of the nuts.

An important feature embodied in my'improved machine consists of dropping or depressingv the -part Vof the upper lap of the Y conveyorw 19,; wh'ich deliversthe nuts to the c racki'ng'mechanism, just' after thenuts have been centered by the plungers, thereby .pre. venting-the ends of the plungers engaging the conveyor 19, with the result of distorting thehlinks andv interfering with the operation ofthe machine, Themechanism ors'afeguarding the conveyor 19, is constructed and operated in the following manner :"The. up-y per lap of lthe chain is-partially` supported and Aguided in itstrack through v thel central bed frame opening and betweenthe sprocket wheels and 86 mounted on `the frame case ing, by a longitudinally extending plate 87, more clearly illustrated in Fig. 18. The

plate 87, extends transversely through the l the lower lap of the carrier 19. Theolfset member is in turn attached to a rod 91, and rod 91 is connected at its .lowerend to the upperend of a yoke member $92,; the arms' 93 of which pass at the sides of, and-haye-guid ing engagement with-thehub nf a camA disk 94, mounted von the main shaft 24. The yoke member 92, are provided with vlaterally extending pins 95, on l whichgare mounted antifriction rollers 96, 'adapted for 'engagementwith the peripherall surface of the cani disk 94. The vperipheral edge ofthe cam disk94 is concentric 'excep'tfor adepression 97 and the elements areso regulated,fthat the antifrictiony roller 96 drops Vinto4 said ico depression, after the Jplurigers have centered begins. *The` antifrictionV roller' 96 rides-fon, the concentric edge of the c`a'1r`i` 'di`sk-94 and 'the nutsand before the cracking operation holds the upper lap of. the carrier.19its]k uppermost positiong` f By this mrrevled @Olistfufiton' lit .will be noted, the longitudinalV plate 87,5 has joyer-A lapping slidin'g engagementwithi the side margin ofthe links 22' of'the lc ony'eyor .'19, (see Fig. 18) whichV are `curved upwardly at their ends. When the crossh'ead88, vis depressed it will not only-permit vthieconl-x reifer t0 fall by elavtybut the nterlkae flanges ,positivelydraw lthis part of the c` n'1 veyor downwardly, so there can be no possi'- bility of the engagement of the yorushing vplun'ge'rs with the conveyor, and themoy ment of said conveyor and the impeding vir'icechanlsm. 1s therefore positive'. f

' kThe various feeding, ejecting and crushing elements are givenI interniiifttent movement through the medium- ,of vv.me cha'ni-sii-i, which is] timed with respect to thev other parts of the machine` and, in this connection',

aereas 'geen that the endless .feeding belt vr7', :is given lan intermittentnmoyement throughY 'the opening providedithereforfi A the hopper 4, through. the medium of sprocket wheels 13, on shaft 14, over which the feeding belt 7 is trained. Likewise mounted on shaft 14, is a gear 98, (Fig. 22) which meshes'with a gear 99 mounted on a shaft 100, and a gear 101 is keyed to the opposite end of this shaft and meshes with a bevel pinion 102,l (Fig. 21), ixedly mounted on a shaft 103. @ne end of a shaft 103 carries the sprocket 85, by which the conveyor' 19, is operated and a timing gear 104,`is lxedly mounted adjacent the other end of said shaft and is driven by the timing pinion 105, securely fastened on shaft 106. Shaft 106 is driven through a bevel gear 107, mounted thereon and which meshes with the bevel pinion 108, mounted on the upper' end of the upright shaft 109. Motion is transmitted to gear 107, and bevel pinion 108, by another bevelgear 110, disposed on the lower end of shaft 109, and gear 110, in turn is in meshing engagement with a beve eled gear 111, which latter is mounted on the main drivey shaft 24.

The main shaft is continuously rotatable and it will thus be seen, that as the sprockets 13 on shaft 14 and sprockets 85 on shaft 103, are actuated, intermittent movement imparted to the feeding belt 7 through sprocket 13, is imparted to Vconveyor 19, through sprocket 85. The endless carrier orconveyor 19, which receives the nuts from the feeding belt 7, and which delivers the nuts to the plungers, has imparted thereto, an intermittent forward advance movement. The length of such intermittent movement is equa-l to that of six of the transverse pockets of the conveyor 19.

, ,V shafts 14,100, 101, 109, 10e, and 21 are suitably mounted in bearings onV the machine frame standards and the housing 21, and the main shaftv24 has fixidly mounted thereon a gear 112, which receives motion through the medium of a pinion 113, on a rotative counter' shaft 114, mounted in the lower part of the'standards. i

A count-er shaft 115, is rotatively mounted in the lower part of the standards and carries at one end the usual tight and loose pulleys 116, and 117, and the driving connection between counter shafts 114 and 115V movementand the mechanism is so regulated that upon the positioning of a series of nuts in front of the vplungers, the same will be c ejected into the conveyor pockets, then centered by the plungers and wedges and nally crushed. When the wedges are in operative position, the plungers are forced rThe extent oi mo-v out and engage the nuts to center same vand during this pause, the reciprocatory levers 77 are rocked, thereby forcing the cross heads 53 to travel inwardly to engage the wedges, which in turn force the plunger against the ends of the nuts with requisite :torce to crush same. The tension ot said breaking iorce may be regulated by adjusting sprinos 7 4 on the bars 69.V

While I have shown and herein described anoperative structure embodying my invention and one which is an improved form, it is to be understood that the details of construction may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention,

and I do notl wish to bel limited toV such deto directly deliver the same, a hopper for the nuts, a carrier co-operating with the-irst named carrier and arranged at right angles thereto and means for automatically ej ecting the nuts from one carrier to the other.

2. In a nut cracking machine, the co1nbination with a carrier, of two groups of cracking plungers at each side of said carrier, a. carrier co-operating with the first named carrier and extending at right angles thereto, a hopper, means for delivering the nuts from the hopper to its associated carrier, and means for directly delivering the nuts to the i'irst named carrier.

3. In a nut cracking machine, the combination witha carrier, of vtwo groups of cracking plungers at each side of said carrier, a hopper for the nuts, a carrier operable in said hopper and extending at right angles to said irstnamed carrier, means for agitating the nuts in said hopper, to cause same to be deposited endwise inthe last named carrier, and means for ejecting the nuts from the hopper carrier to directly deliver the same to the first mentioned carrier. f

4. In a nut cracking machine, the com- Y bination ywith a carrie-r for the nuts, of two opposed groups of cracking plungers, one groupat each side of the carrier, a hopper for the nuts, a carrier operable in said hopV per and extending at rightangles to said irst named carrier for directly delivering the nuts to the latter, means for conveying a number of nuts from thehopper to its associated carrier and means for ejecting the nuts from one carrier to the other and positioning same for the cracking operation of the plungers. v

5. In a nut cracking machine, the combination with a transverse carrier for j the nuts, of two opposed groups of cracking plungers, one group at each side of the carpositions.

rier, a 'hopper for the nuts, a longitudinal carrier associatedpwith the hopper,` means Ifor depositing nuts endwise in the ylast named carrier, means` for ejecting the'nuts from one'carrier for direct delivery to the fother, means for centering the nuts on the transverse carrier and mea-ns acting through l the medium or" the centering means for transmitting pressure to the plungers to force Athem toward eachother in their cracking 6.l Ina nut cracking machine, the combiy 'riat-ioirwith 'a'transverse carrier for .the nuts,

" with said hopper, means having engagement with the hopperv carrier for agitating the nuts, means Vfor intermittently operating said carriers and means for ejecting the nuts i from the hoppercarrier to. directly deliver 4the same to the transversey carrier.

7. In a nut crackingmachine, the combination with an 'intermittently movable carrier of two o osed'o'rou s of lunfrcrs one 7 b p b p at eacli side of the cai'rier, a hopper, a carrier associated with said hopper and having pockets, meansfor delivering the nuts from vthe 'hopper to the carrier, means for depositing a certain number of'nutsendwise in said y carrier pockets and means for vejectingl the l nuts from said pockets to directly deliver the nuts to the'first named carrier. l

8. In a nut cracking machine, the combination with an intermittently movable carrier, a hopper for the nuts, a carrier associated with said hopper and provided with pockets, of two opposed groups of cracking plungers one at each side of the first named carrier, means for delivering nuts endwise from the hopper to the second carrier, means for directly delivering nuts from the carrier pockets to the first named carrier, means for preliminarily moving the plungers together to center the nuts-'on the carrier and means for forcing the plungers into their cracking position. y

9. In a nut cracking machine, the combi- I. nation with an intermittently operable carrier, a hopper for holding the nuts, an endless carrier associated with said hopper provided with pockets, crushing plungers disposed at each side 'of the first carrier, means for agitating the upper lap of said endless carrier to cause a predetermined number of nuts to be delivered endwise into the carrier pockets,.intermittent means for ejecting the nuts from the carrier pockets to be directly delivered on to the iirst named carrier, means acting on the outer ends of the plungers for centering the nuts on the i'irst named carrier and means acting through the medium of the centering means, for transmitting pressure to the plungers to force them toward each positions. n i

l0. In a nut cracking machine, the comther in their cracking 'bination withY an intermittently operable carrier,a hopper for holdingy the nuts, a carrier operable in said hopper, said hopper carrier com arising tranverse bars 'formed 1 with pockets, cracking plungers disposed vat each side of the first named carrier, means for depositing a predetermined number of nuts endwise in the Acarrier pockets, means operablein the'pock'ets for ejecting the nuts l and delivering same to the other carrierfor submission to the action of the cracking I plungers. c c

11. Inl a nut cracking machine, the combination with a transversely operable carrier, ofv cracking plungersdisposed at each side of saidy carrier, a hopper for the nuts,

acarrier associatedwith saidhopper, said-" carrier`-V comprising transversely extending bars having pockets therein, mechanism for intermittently depositing a predetermined number of nuts endwise into said pockets,

"meansfordirectly delivering the nuts from Y' thel pockets to the.A transverse car'rier,means vfor preliminarily operating the plungers toY 'I center the nuts 0n the' transverse carrier and i for intermittently operating 4the plungers to simultaneously force the same into their:

cracking positions.

12. In a nut cracking machine, the com-y bination with aV transverse movable carrier,

of cracking plungers disposed'at eachside oi said carrier, a hopper, a carrier operable in Vthe hopper, said carrier comprising-a pluralityofv bars having-openings for the ref ception of nuts from the hopper, mechanism for actuating the plungers in their crushing operation therein, an element fory ejecting the nuts from the hopper carrier to deliver the same directly to-sa-id transverse carrier, and means for actuating the plungers to center the nuts on the transverse carrier.` v

13. In a nut cracking machine, the combination with an intermittently movable transiio verse-carrier, of two groups'of opposed horiopenings, means for depositing a number of y nuts endwise in the openings of the carrier `and an element for ejecting nuts from the hopper carrier to deliver the same. directly to said transverse carrier.

14. In a nut cracking machine, the combi- Y gers7 guide blocks one on each` side vof the carrier in which the plungers are lndepend- Y ently slidable, vertically slidablewedges having inclined faces adapted for engagelment .with the -plungers,- a hopper for the nuts, a longitudinal carrier associated With said hopper, saidy carrier comprising a plurality of transversely extending bars having pockets therein, means for intermittently agitating the hopper carrier to dispose a number of nuts endvvise in the said pockets, means for intermittently ejecting thenuts from the pockets to deliver the same directly on tothe transverse carrier and means for actuating the transverse carrier toy depress same during a cracking operation.

l5. In a nut cracking machine, vthe combination With a transverse carrier, of intermittently movable cracking plungers, one group on each side of the carrier, a hopper for the nuts, a 'drive shaft, a longitudinal carrier disposed in the bottom of said hopper, an agitating element for said carrier operable through the drive shaft, an element for ejecting the nuts from the hopper carrier to be delivered directly to the transverse carrier, a rotative cam attached to said drive shaft and engaging said ejecting element and means for actuating the plungers to move same into their cracking position.

16; n a nut cracking machine, the combination with a carrier, of tWo groups of cracking plungers, one on eachside of the carrier, the plungers of each group being horizontally and independently movable to* vvard and from the rother plungers, independently movableJ Wedges individualto Yand actingon said plungers to force the same inwardly, means for retracting the plungers as the Wedges are retracted, and means for simultaneously and yieldingly locking the Wedges in advancev during the cracking operation. n

l?. ln a nut cracking machine, the combination With a carrier, of twogroups of cracking plungers, oneon eachside of .the carrier, the plungers of each groupV being horizontally and independently movable *tov Ward and from the other plungers, .independently gravity acting Wedges for forcing the independently movable plungers: inwardly, means for yieldingly lockingsaid Wedges against vertical movement in, ady,

vance of the cracking operation, and means for Vretracting the plungers as ,the ,'Wedges are retracted. f

18. In a nut cracking machine, the combination With ya carrier, of two groupsfof; Y,

cracking plungers, one on each 'side of lthe carrier, the plungers of eachy group being horizontally and independently movable toward and from the other plungers, l'lever means for actuating Wedges, and meansfas sociated With said lever means for4 .simultaneously and yieldingly locking the Wedges in functional position in advance kof the cracking operation.

Y In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.`

FRANK A; Coram; 

